Meeting minutes - Broward County, Florida



Broward County Go SOLAR Cities Kickoff MeetingDecember 19th, 2013 Attendees: Refer to Sign-In SheetWelcome & Introductions:Electronic PermitsAgenda – On website under meetings tabAll signed for CD which contains all necessary documents50/50 of staff representing cities knows each other Meeting/PresentationThe SunShot program builds on the legacy of President Kennedy's 1960s "moon shot" goal, which laid out a plan to regain the country's lead in the space race and land a man on the moon. The SunShot program will aggressively drive innovations in the ways that solar systems are conceived, designed, manufactured and installed. Goal of SunShot: Make solar costs competitive with coal, natural gas and nuclear energy without subsidiesSunShot goal is to reduce overall costsOur focus is to target soft costs (financing, permitting, customer acquisition, installation and maintenance costs ) which drive prices up64% of overall costs is attributed to soft costs. As local governments, our main target is permitting soft costs.Overview of Go SOLAR Broward Accomplishments included:Partners signed Inter-local agreement (ILA)Removed verbiage from zoning/planning that restricted solarCreated electronic permit process (gosolar.) Agreed to one fee ($500 + surcharges)Preapproved plansCreated Financing Best PracticesTrained participants in use of electronic permit systemHeld Go SOLAR Fest January 20133 partner cities still need to sign ILA (Interlocal Agreement)Davie, Hallandale Beach, Lauderdale-by-the-SeaGo SOLAR Florida Partners outside BC include Alachua, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, St. Lucie Counties and the City of Venice – major metros of FloridaBroward County partners include Alachua, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, St. Lucie Counties and the City of VeniceFind a system that works for everyone in FloridaGoal – lay the groundwork to increase grid-tied systems for the entire stateRequest assistance from BC partner cities Go SOLAR Fest II – attend and market to your residents the ILA Due FEBRUARY 28th, 2014BC agrees to accept the online application & permit fee, and to disseminate both to the cityCity agrees to give BC the authority to receive applications, to issue permits & distribute fees to cityCity retains authority to conduct inspections & re-inspectionsCity agrees to modify zoning regs to allow web based applications shall not be subject to further zoning review, inspections or fees.Zoning OrdinanceEffort led by Maribel Feliciano who is working with our grant partner, FAUFAU research on preserving historical landmarks with renewable energy developmentTemplate Ordinance Agreement with electronic signatureChecklist at the beginningOnline Permitting SystemSystem created last year during Go SOLAR Broward CountyIt isn’t perfect. Assist us by addressing issues with the systemBenefit the whole with user-friendliness2 Different TracksMeet our grant requirements quickly (ILA, Zoning Ordinance etc)Improve online permitting system so solar contractor use itFinancing is the greatest challenge for owner installationProperty Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE) approved in concept by BC Commissioners, program to be operational in SpringGoal is to provide clean energy at an affordable costPACE is one tool to help consumers afford solar. Dr. Nancy Gassman will be working on other financing options as part of the grant.A great resource to find funding options is at DSIRE.Want to get residents to afford to implement and spread word on feasibility (foundation)Create a customer baseGreen market not ready, but growingSystem designed for maximizing number of potential customersDiscussionExplain the involvement of the roofer when putting PV on a roofIf there’s a solar contractor, a roofer is not requiredAll contractors, regardless of scope, must apply and get approved by our electronic systemOnly licensed contractors may use the online permitting portal, not residentsHow is permitting process related between the county and the cities?All electronicPermit issued, both city and county aware of projectHow do cities keep records of permits issued online? One portal, contractor enters dataCities are notified by email when permits are issued and when inspections are needed. Right now, cities do not have a way to transfer the data to their system without manually entering itGoal is to combine into 1 Amazing system!Questions & AnswersTracking of Time for grantCommitment of in-kind time matchingMeetings, staff, planning, etc.Will follow up with timecardSolar Hot-Water?Outside scope of grantNot outside future plans, will be included in Second Annual Go SOLAR & Renewable Energy FestChallenge to get signed and sealed plansTraining for contractors availableOn the website, view a video created for contractors on how to register to use the site. Select 5 Step Go SOLAR Permitting Video on this site: long does it take for a contractor to be added to the online permitting website?2-3 days, insurance and license needs to be verifiedWhen a permit is issued, does Broward retain a copy?Yes, all saved online and availableWhat is the current status in Residential demand?A lot more people applying for the FPL rebate than those that are receiving it, demand is there with financial incentivesWhen will PACE be up and available?Waiting for ILA to be signed possibly late springHoping before June 6th (GSFII)Not a cure-all, just another optionWhat happens with the property and property-owner with PACE financing?Mortgage company provides consentQualification for appraisalCan earn in resale of propertyWhat is the life expectancy of a rooftop photovoltaic system?On average 20-30 yearsDepending on regular maintenance 300 days a year, 5 hrs/day yearly average electricity production of solar in FloridaStudy for loansProblems happened with city managers and PIOs not communicating making the process difficult to implementPlease get everyone on-board to smooth the processSend PIOs contact information ................
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